diff --git a/.github/actions/install-llama-stack-client/action.yml b/.github/actions/install-llama-stack-client/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..553d82f01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/install-llama-stack-client/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+name: Install llama-stack-client
+description: Install llama-stack-client based on branch context and client-version input
+
+inputs:
+  client-version:
+    description: 'Client version to install on non-release branches (latest or published). Ignored on release branches.'
+    required: false
+    default: ""
+
+outputs:
+  uv-index-url:
+    description: 'UV_INDEX_URL to use (set for release branches)'
+    value: ${{ steps.configure.outputs.uv-index-url }}
+  uv-extra-index-url:
+    description: 'UV_EXTRA_INDEX_URL to use (set for release branches)'
+    value: ${{ steps.configure.outputs.uv-extra-index-url }}
+  install-after-sync:
+    description: 'Whether to install client after uv sync'
+    value: ${{ steps.configure.outputs.install-after-sync }}
+  install-source:
+    description: 'Where to install client from after sync'
+    value: ${{ steps.configure.outputs.install-source }}
+
+runs:
+  using: "composite"
+  steps:
+    - name: Configure client installation
+      id: configure
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        # Determine the branch we're working with
+        BRANCH="${{ github.base_ref || github.ref }}"
+        BRANCH="${BRANCH#refs/heads/}"
+
+        echo "Working with branch: $BRANCH"
+
+        # On release branches: use test.pypi for uv sync, then install from git
+        # On non-release branches: install based on client-version after sync
+        if [[ "$BRANCH" =~ ^release-[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.x$ ]]; then
+          echo "Detected release branch: $BRANCH"
+
+          # Check if matching branch exists in client repo
+          if ! git ls-remote --exit-code --heads https://github.com/llamastack/llama-stack-client-python.git "$BRANCH" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "::error::Branch $BRANCH not found in llama-stack-client-python repository"
+            echo "::error::Please create the matching release branch in llama-stack-client-python before testing"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          # Configure to use test.pypi for sync (to resolve RC versions)
+          echo "uv-index-url=https://test.pypi.org/simple/" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "uv-extra-index-url=https://pypi.org/simple/" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "install-after-sync=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "install-source=git+https://github.com/llamastack/llama-stack-client-python.git@$BRANCH" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        elif [ "${{ inputs.client-version }}" = "latest" ]; then
+          # Install from main git after sync
+          echo "install-after-sync=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "install-source=git+https://github.com/llamastack/llama-stack-client-python.git@main" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        elif [ "${{ inputs.client-version }}" = "published" ]; then
+          # Use published version from PyPI (installed by sync)
+          echo "install-after-sync=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        elif [ -n "${{ inputs.client-version }}" ]; then
+          echo "::error::Invalid client-version: ${{ inputs.client-version }}"
+          exit 1
+        fi
diff --git a/.github/actions/setup-runner/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup-runner/action.yml
index 905d6b73a..52a3c4643 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup-runner/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup-runner/action.yml
@@ -18,8 +18,17 @@ runs:
         python-version: ${{ inputs.python-version }}
         version: 0.7.6
 
+    - name: Configure client installation
+      id: client-config
+      uses: ./.github/actions/install-llama-stack-client
+      with:
+        client-version: ${{ inputs.client-version }}
+
     - name: Install dependencies
       shell: bash
+      env:
+        UV_INDEX_URL: ${{ steps.client-config.outputs.uv-index-url }}
+        UV_EXTRA_INDEX_URL: ${{ steps.client-config.outputs.uv-extra-index-url }}
       run: |
         echo "Updating project dependencies via uv sync"
         uv sync --all-groups
@@ -27,16 +36,10 @@ runs:
         echo "Installing ad-hoc dependencies"
         uv pip install faiss-cpu
 
-        # Install llama-stack-client-python based on the client-version input
-        if [ "${{ inputs.client-version }}" = "latest" ]; then
-          echo "Installing latest llama-stack-client-python from main branch"
-          uv pip install git+https://github.com/llamastack/llama-stack-client-python.git@main
-        elif [ "${{ inputs.client-version }}" = "published" ]; then
-          echo "Installing published llama-stack-client-python from PyPI"
-          uv pip install llama-stack-client
-        else
-          echo "Invalid client-version: ${{ inputs.client-version }}"
-          exit 1
+        # Install specific client version after sync if needed
+        if [ "${{ steps.client-config.outputs.install-after-sync }}" = "true" ]; then
+          echo "Installing llama-stack-client from: ${{ steps.client-config.outputs.install-source }}"
+          uv pip install ${{ steps.client-config.outputs.install-source }}
         fi
 
         echo "Installed llama packages"
diff --git a/.github/actions/setup-test-environment/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup-test-environment/action.yml
index 992b25803..7b306fef5 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup-test-environment/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup-test-environment/action.yml
@@ -42,29 +42,7 @@ runs:
     - name: Build Llama Stack
       shell: bash
       run: |
-        # Install llama-stack-client-python based on the client-version input
-        if [ "${{ inputs.client-version }}" = "latest" ]; then
-          # Check if PR is targeting a release branch
-          TARGET_BRANCH="${{ github.base_ref }}"
-
-          if [[ "$TARGET_BRANCH" =~ ^release-[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.x$ ]]; then
-            echo "PR targets release branch: $TARGET_BRANCH"
-            echo "Checking if matching branch exists in llama-stack-client-python..."
-
-            # Check if the branch exists in the client repo
-            if git ls-remote --exit-code --heads https://github.com/llamastack/llama-stack-client-python.git "$TARGET_BRANCH" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-              echo "Installing llama-stack-client-python from matching branch: $TARGET_BRANCH"
-              uv pip install --force-reinstall git+https://github.com/llamastack/llama-stack-client-python.git@$TARGET_BRANCH
-            else
-              echo "::error::Branch $TARGET_BRANCH not found in llama-stack-client-python repository"
-              echo "::error::Please create the matching release branch in llama-stack-client-python before testing"
-              exit 1
-            fi
-          fi
-          # For main branch, client is already installed by setup-runner
-        fi
-        # For published version, client is already installed by setup-runner
-
+        # Client is already installed by setup-runner (handles both main and release branches)
         echo "Building Llama Stack"
 
         LLAMA_STACK_DIR=. \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pre-commit.yml b/.github/workflows/pre-commit.yml
index 695a4f9e2..6d9f358d2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pre-commit.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pre-commit.yml
@@ -130,8 +130,22 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
+      - name: Configure client installation
+        id: client-config
+        uses: ./.github/actions/install-llama-stack-client
+
       - name: Sync dev + type_checking dependencies
-        run: uv sync --group dev --group type_checking
+        env:
+          UV_INDEX_URL: ${{ steps.client-config.outputs.uv-index-url }}
+          UV_EXTRA_INDEX_URL: ${{ steps.client-config.outputs.uv-extra-index-url }}
+        run: |
+          uv sync --group dev --group type_checking
+
+          # Install specific client version after sync if needed
+          if [ "${{ steps.client-config.outputs.install-after-sync }}" = "true" ]; then
+            echo "Installing llama-stack-client from: ${{ steps.client-config.outputs.install-source }}"
+            uv pip install ${{ steps.client-config.outputs.install-source }}
+          fi
 
       - name: Run mypy (full type_checking)
         run: |